Whether it's taking care of someone or being taken care of, once you choose to accept and adapt to that rhythm, it's surprisingly difficult to readjust when the routine is broken.
Shiratori Seiya felt his eyelids heavy, but it was as if someone had stuffed a balloon into his head—dizzy, bloated, and uncomfortably pressurized. His nose was completely stuffed, with only one nostril managing to draw in thin, unsatisfying breaths that did little to relieve the pressure building behind his sinuses.
He had no appetite and couldn't be bothered to think about whether he should eat medicine or food first. He shuffled to the refrigerator, pulled out some bread, poured a cup of hot water, and swallowed the cold medicine with a few bites of bread and sips of water.
The rough wheat fibers scraped against his sore throat, making him wince with every swallow. After two more bites, he simply tossed the bread aside and grabbed a thick jacket from the closet, draping it over his shoulders before settling onto the sofa.
He stared blankly at the steaming cup in front of him, watching the wisps of vapor curl and dissipate into the air.
He knew from yesterday that Saori wouldn't need him to pick her up—she was returning to school by the club's bus in the morning. Although she had no classes today, there were bound to be arrangements within the school club, so they wouldn't meet until at least the afternoon.
He, however, had the same general education class with Mio today and would have to drive her to school soon.
...
After roughly mapping out his schedule, Shiratori Seiya had originally intended to luxuriously waste away the morning, then head to school when the time was right.
But his body seemed to have grown lazy. Unknowingly, he leaned back on the sofa, and at some point, his eyes—like a computer screen on standby—automatically shut off. He slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Ding-dong.
It wasn't until a doorbell rang in his ear that Shiratori Seiya frowned, his consciousness slowly surfacing from the depths of slumber. He opened his eyes as if startled, grabbed his phone, and checked the time.
9:01 AM.
Seeing that there was still nearly an hour until the ten o'clock second-line class, he immediately felt much more relaxed, somewhat relieved that he had woken up at this hour. He still had plenty of time to pick up Mio.
The doorbell continued to echo persistently through the apartment. He took off the jacket draped over him, stood up, and walked to open the door.
"What are you doing inside?"
As soon as he opened the door, he was met with Takahashi Mio's face—her brows tightly knitted, lips pursed, and a hint of anxiety flickering in her eyes.
However, when her gaze lingered on Shiratori Seiya's face for more than two seconds, her annoyed expression instantly vanished.
Shiratori Seiya's eyes were bloodshot and lacked their usual sharpness. His face looked waxy and pale, his hair was unkempt, and he radiated a complete lack of energy. He looked like someone who had been through the wringer.
Takahashi Mio's eyes widened in surprise. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, "What... happened to you?"
Hearing this, Shiratori Seiya rubbed his face, trying to summon some semblance of vitality. "Nothing. I forgot to close the window last night and caught a bit of a cold."
Listening to his hoarse, muffled voice—so different from his usual crisp tone—a hint of worry appeared in Takahashi Mio's eyes. She took a step forward, pushing Shiratori Seiya back into the house. She closed the door behind her, then placed her palm on his forehead. While feeling his body temperature, she mumbled, "Are you sure it's just a cold and not a fever?"
She was very close. Shiratori Seiya couldn't smell her perfume, but he could clearly feel the cold air clinging to her clothes from outside. He gently removed her hand from his forehead and said helplessly, "It's not that easy to get a fever. I don't practice kendo for nothing. Even if I stayed outside for a whole night, I wouldn't necessarily get a fever."
"Hehe, you can't be so sure." Takahashi Mio's voice carried a note of stubborn concern. "My father said that a colleague of his—someone who works out every single day—drank alcohol and went home to stand on the balcony in the wind one night two years ago. He suddenly had a stroke."
Seeing his nonchalant expression, she couldn't help but retort. Then she touched her own forehead, and after confirming that their temperatures felt similar, the nervous expression on her face visibly relaxed.
"It seems like nothing serious, but you shouldn't take it too lightly."
"It's fine."
Shiratori Seiya said, walking toward the house to retrieve his handbag. He added, "Wait for me. We'll go together in a bit."
Takahashi Mio followed him into the house. But the moment she stepped into the living room, she caught the faint scent of sandalwood lingering in the air. It was completely different from the usual clean, neutral scent of Shiratori Seiya's home—a scent she'd grown accustomed to over the past weeks. She wrinkled her nose and couldn't help but ask, "What is that smell?"
Shiratori Seiya paused, then realized she was referring to the calming incense. He turned to look at her frowning expression and explained, "Ah, that's calming incense that Shione gave me. What, you don't like the smell?"
"No, I don't." Takahashi Mio's answer came almost without hesitation. A wary look appeared in her eyes as she bluntly retorted, "How dare you use something she gave you so casually? It might be because of this incense that you caught a cold."
Knowing that she clearly had an issue with Shione, Shiratori Seiya's lips moved. He observed the expression on her face—and it seemed she genuinely believed there was something wrong with the incense. He reached for the two boxes of calming incense on the table and explained, "These two sets of incense—she specifically got them from a temple. I tried them this morning, and there's nothing wrong with them."
Saying that, he handed her one of the boxes. "I wasn't planning to sleep this morning, but I might have gotten drowsy because I lit this incense. At least it's pretty good for sleep. Do you want to take a box to use?"
Hearing him say that Hōjō Shione had specifically gotten it from a temple, Takahashi Mio bit her lip. His words made her feel as if she seemed less thoughtful than Shione.
"I won't use her things." Takahashi Mio had no intention of reaching out to take it. Suppressing the urge to throw it directly into the trash, she said, "What's the point? One of her, one of Hasegawa—when you actually get sick, neither of them can take care of you."
There was a hint of genuine anger in her tone, as if she was revealing her true nature. At the end, seemingly not having said enough, she mumbled under her breath, "All they do is put on a show..."
As her words fell, she raised her face. Her eyes, looking at Shiratori Seiya, were filled with concern. Her tone became unusually gentle: "Why don't you... just rest at home today? It's just one general education class, after all. Even if you take a day off, the teacher won't do anything."
Unlike her usual acting—the carefully crafted performances she put on for various reasons—Takahashi Mio genuinely felt a pang of concern seeing Shiratori Seiya sick in that moment. She wanted him to get some proper rest, to take care of himself for once.
Even though she was verbally criticizing Hōjō Shione and Hasegawa Saori for being useless, deep down, she also felt a sense of pride—as if she had found a hidden treasure.
If she had to describe it, it was like the feeling of finally getting to eat meat after being forced to subsist on scraps for so long. The satisfaction was almost intoxicating.
What ex-girlfriend? What engagement?
When something happens, don't I still have to be the one to take care of you?
She was usually the one being trusted and taken care of by him. So when she could thoughtfully care for him in return, Takahashi Mio felt especially happy—like she had finally proven her worth.
And looking at her, so genuinely concerned for him, Shiratori Seiya felt a warmth bloom in his chest. He smiled despite his discomfort. "It's not that serious. It's just a cold. You're making it sound like I have some major illness. I didn't stop working even when I had a high fever in high school. It's no big deal. Let's go."
Saying that, he opened the door and walked out.
...
Takahashi Mio watched his retreating figure, knowing she couldn't argue with him when he was in this stubborn mood. She couldn't help but sigh, closed the door behind her, and quickly followed him.
There was still plenty of time before class, so Shiratori Seiya drove unhurriedly. He glanced at Takahashi Mio, who was doing her makeup beside him, and realized that she clearly hadn't been wearing any makeup when she had appeared at his doorstep earlier.
So he asked with some curiosity, "Do you have something on today? You were in such a hurry to come out. I remember you usually wake up at nine, right?"
Hearing this, Takahashi Mio's makeup application paused. With a snap, she closed her makeup compact.
Why was she in such a hurry to come out?
Isn't it because there's a crazy vixen living across from your house?